Cloud computing services allow users to create, edit, share, and collaborate on files that are stored on the cloud computing service. Users connect to the cloud computing service over a remote network such as the Internet. Files that may be stored on the cloud computing service include word processing documents, spreadsheets, presentations, images, audio files, video files, and many other types of documents and files. The cloud computing service also provides document editing applications for displaying and editing certain files. These applications are sent from the cloud computing service to a client computer and displayed on a web browser executing the client computer. For example, a cloud computing service may send to a client computer a document editing application for displaying and editing word processing documents stored on the cloud computing service. For collaborative documents, the cloud computing service sends the application to each collaborator so that they can view and edit the document at the same time.
The cloud computing service may allow users to install various add-on applications that increase the functionality of the document editing applications. These add-on applications, or modular applications, are designed to work in conjunction with the document editing applications. For example, a modular application may allow a user to create special types of charts in a spreadsheet document that cannot normally be created with the document editing application. However, the use of modular applications in collaborative documents is complicated. If one collaborator installs a modular application and uses it in a collaborative document, the other collaborators would also have to install the modular application to use it in the document as well. Also, installation of a modular application is tied to a particular device. A user has to install the modular application on each device that the user may use to edit the collaborative document.